The reasons for Missouri's failures on the football field this year were multiple. Injuries, a new conference and one of the nation's toughest schedules all factored in. So did a simple lack of making plays.

Ultimately, it is unfair to point the finger at any one aspect. But in football, one position gets more blame and more criticism than any other.

That one position, of course, is quarterback. For ten years at Missouri, quarterback play has been the hallmark of Pinkel's teams. The top ten individual seasons in Missouri history in terms of total offense have come in the last ten years. Chase Daniel, Brad Smith and Blaine Gabbert rank one, two, three on the school's all-time total offense list. In just one season, James Franklin had already moved up to ninth on that list. Jeff Handy is the only quarterback outside of those four to even have a single game that ranks in Mizzou's all-time top 15 in terms of total yardage (Handy has two such games).

In other words, the quarterback position has been pretty important to Mizzou under Pinkel.